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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bear — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. court — for sport
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. swing — in golf
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. court — of a king
  14. pop — soda
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mug — a face
  18. court — of law
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. swing — music
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com